


Monsterification in Fanfiction

by ArgentDandelion



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Analysis, Fallen Flowers, Gen, Human/Monster Hybrids, Human/Monster Society, Monster Frisk (Undertale), Monsterification, Nonfiction, Prejudice Against Humans (Undertale), Soul Dichromatism - Freeform, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 03:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19898839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentDandelion/pseuds/ArgentDandelion
Summary: A compare and contrast of three Undertale fan works (fan comic Fallen Flowers and the fanfictions You Monster and Soul Dichromatism) on the theme of humans turning into monsters.





	Monsterification in Fanfiction

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Soul Dichromatism](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6883084) by [BlackRazorBill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRazorBill/pseuds/BlackRazorBill). 
  * Inspired by [You Monster](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5618989) by [CleverCatchphrase](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CleverCatchphrase/pseuds/CleverCatchphrase). 



  1. [Introduction](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction##paragraph1)
  2. [How Monsterification Works in Each](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#paragraph2)
  3. [Social Context of Monsterification](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#paragraph3)
  4. [Monsterified Humans Relationship with Human-ness](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#paragraph4)
  5. [Consequences of Monsterification](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#paragraph5)
  6. [Conclusion](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#paragraph6)



## 

_(Contains mild spoilers)_  
 _( _You Monster_ and _Soul Dichromatism_ are for teen and up audiences)_  
 _(Note: Different works use different genders for Frisk. I will be referring to each version of Frisk by the gender used in corresponding works.)_  


**Introduction**

The transformation of humans into monsters is a recurring theme in Undertale fan works. These transformations are not merely aesthetic, but come with social and psychological consequences: monsters interact differently and more positively with humans that look like monsters. However, monsterification comes at a cost: humans may long for their lost “humanity” (or just their human bodies) and want to regain that lost humanity.

The fan comic Fallen Flowers (by [TarableArt](http://tarableart.tumblr.com/)) and the fanfictions Soul Dichromatism and You Monster ([BlackRazorBill](http://blackrazorbill.tumblr.com/) and [CleverCatchphrase](http://clevercatchphrase.tumblr.com/), respectively) are all similar in that, over the course of the fiction, the human Frisk comes to look like a boss monster, but the social consequences of each are all different.

* * *

### How Monsterification Works in Each

  
  
Illustration of _You Monster_ , by BlackRazorBill

In _Fallen Flowers_ , the “mages” (the work’s term for “humanity’s seven greatest magicians”) that made the barrier added a curse to it: any human could slip through, but their form would take that of a monster. After falling through the barrier, Frisk finds themselves with a Boss Monster-like body.

In _Soul Dichromatism_ , monsters and humans are in a decades-long war on the Surface. A device meant to drain power from a human soul is applied to the human captive Frisk, and unexpectedly changes her body to a Boss Monster’s.

In _You Monster_ , “monsterification” is not achieved through magical means, but social ones. This Frisk (which Toriel hastily gives the name “Chara”) is about five years old when they fall in. A severe head injury leads to amnesia. Observing Toriel’s motherly behavior and use of “my child” in their recovery, Frisk infers Toriel is their mother, and as Toriel is a monster they are logically a monster too. Toriel encourages this delusion, for she believes that if Frisk believes they’re a monster, they won’t want to leave the safety of the ruins to journey to the surface.   
Frisk grows up thinking they’re a monster, and tries to look more like Toriel by using Toriel’s shed fur to make a Boss Monster-like hat and gloves. They even sew flint and steel pieces into the gloves, so a snap of their fingers can set things on fire in an approximation of Boss Monster magic.

* * *

### Social Context of Monsterification

  
  
Illustration of _Soul Dichromatism’s_ monster Frisk, by BlackRazorBill

In _Fallen Flowers_ , monsters realize seven human souls are needed to break the barrier. Yet, when the first humans fell “[monsters] could not bring themselves to harm what were clearly monster children”. Monsters took these humans in as their own, and (according to _Fallen Flowers_ Toriel) they seemed happier Underground, and were well-loved.

In _Soul Dichromatism_ , monsters’ long war with humanity is seemingly endless. The many casualties on both sides lead to monsters’ distrust of humanity, and their belief only one people can survive the conflict. The monsterification process makes Frisk look indistinguishable from a monster. This makes monsters treat her differently, and positively. Indeed, they often seem empathetic towards her: as she herself points out, “You only have compassion for me because I look like you”.

In _You Monster_ , Frisk believes they’re a boss monster. Most monsters of the Ruins, who either know or can make a good guess Frisk is a human, are reasonably friendly. Some, however, run away or avoid Frisk, and one of Frisk’s guesses as to why is because they’re an intimidating boss monster like their mother. On account of most monsters not knowing what humans look or smell like, most monsters believe Frisk is a monster (if perhaps a rare variety).

* * *

### Monsterified Humans’ Relationship with Human-ness

In _Fallen Flowers_ , beyond Frisk’s puzzlement on having horns, there is little information on Frisk’s sentiments on being monsterified or no longer appearing human. Toriel explains that, should the strange flower on Frisk’s body wilt and the last petal fall, they shall cease to be human, and, after seeing a petal fall, speeds up her plans. That Frisk goes along with this suggests, at the very least, Frisk does not prefer to be a monster.

In _Soul Dichromatism_ , Frisk considers (or comes to consider) being human as a major part of her identity. She defines humans (and by extension, herself) as the enemy of monsters, and considers it traitorous to her loved ones (who were killed by monsters) to be friendly to monsters. After being (partially) transformed into a monster, she hates monsters all the more for “taking everything from [her]…down to [her] body.” She values what little of her remains “human” after the process, namely her hair, eyes, humanlike soul traits and (as she later learns) still-human blood. Throughout the work, she repeatedly reminds herself that, no matter what she looks like, she’s still a human inside.

In _You Monster_ , Frisk is puzzled as to why some people (such as Undyne, who knows what humans look like) are hostile, distrustful or afraid of them. Frisk believes humans are awful, ruthless, destructive and unforgiving, and conjectures from a book in the Snowdin library they must constantly feel despair and rage. Due to these beliefs, Frisk finds it “hard to wrap their head around” the idea Asgore would adopt a human child, and that a human was capable of befriending monsters and “learning to be kind”. Indeed, they build traps more “hazardous” (even “outright diabolical”, according to Sans) than Papyrus’s, explaining this with: “how are we going to get their soul if the puzzles will let them get away?” By Chapter 26, Frisk says they don’t like humans any more than the next monster, but that doesn’t mean they have to hate them.

* * *

### Consequences of Monsterification

In each fiction, monsters’ opinions on humans likely change in a positive direction due to the “humonsters.”

In _Fallen Flowers_ , some Ruins monsters help Frisk escape enemies, taking her to a hidden safe zone. In addition, while Napstablook isn’t unfriendly to begin with in canon Undertale, in Fallen Flowers he goes through the trouble of possessing a nonthreatening cat plushie to comfort the monsterified Frisk. The monsters’ actions are likely because of the friendly history towards monsterified humans in the work.

In _Soul Dichromatism_ , morale is a matter of life and death: “HP” is an acronym of “HoPe”, and those who are hopeless become “fallen down” and die. The idea humans can be made “good” through monsterification, and in this way end the war, brings hope to monsterkind. However, few consider Frisk’s perspective on monsterification, or how she feels on being a symbol of hope. Some characters,[1](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#fn:1) in the course of interacting with Frisk, gain some sympathy and/or empathy for her, and must reevaluate the morality of the war and their actions in it. Indeed, one character changes her perspective on Frisk secondhand: a character who interacts frequently with Frisk asks the other to imagine being in Frisk’s terrible situation.

In _You Monster_ , various characters think of humans as cruel and ruthless, as least in general. Yet, when learning of Frisk, the human who believes they’re a monster, it causes some monsters’ beliefs to change. Though Papyrus considers the possibility a human could be innocent and kind, knowing his new friend is a human causes him to do his best to protect them. Later, when Undyne realizes Frisk is a human, she becomes hostile and tries to kill them several times. It takes a conflict in which she realizes she’s acting “like a human” and Frisk is acting “like a monster” to reevaluate the morality of her actions and give up on trying to kill Frisk.

* * *

### Conclusion

Many fictional works show “good guys” as being more human-like in appearance than the “bad guys”,[2](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#fn:2) as if they cannot be morally equivalent to humans without looking like them. For _Fallen Flowers_ , _Soul Dichromatism_ , and _You Monster_ , it is the reverse: through humans appearing (or just behaving) monsterlike, monsters see the “monsterity” of humans. This may lead to their asking themselves uncomfortable questions about the morality of their actions. Through monsterification, monsters may come to view humans not by _what_ they are, but _who_ : paralleling many a player’s journey through _Undertale_ itself.

* * *

* * *

  1. Especially Alphys, Connine (an original character), and Undyne. Asriel was more sympathetic to humans (and morally conflicted fighting them) than most to begin with, but nonetheless was ignorant of just how bad Frisk’s scenario was and lacked real empathy. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#fnref:1)

  2. Designing “good guy” nonhuman characters with sternocleidomastoid muscles, as explained [here](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slate.com%2Fcontent%2Fslate%2Fblogs%2Fbrowbeat%2F2009%2F12%2F16%2Fon_na_vi_biology.html&t=MjE2Mzc0MmJiMjQ0YWMwNjBhNTBhYTcxOTBkYmM5ZGI3ZWY4YmViNiwyc3owekx5Qg%3D%3D&b=t%3AHZZTbr56CX-Pu8cYzedJTw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fargentdandelion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F173271722156%2Fmonsterification-in-fanfiction&m=1), is a subtle example of this. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/173271722156/monsterification-in-fanfiction#fnref:2)




**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my [Tumblr](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/). Feel free to comment on this article there or here.


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